For Question 4

Maryland's Dream Act, which allows some illegal immigrants to pay in-state tuition at public colleges and universities, has drawn attention far out of proportion to its actual impact. Only a few hundred students are likely to be eligible for the benefit in any given year, but because it touches on the issue of who should be in this country and how we treat them, it has led to vocal and passionate campaigns on both sides. But there's a practical component to the issue, too. The Dream Act is a good investment for Maryland taxpayers, and for that reason, voters should support Question 4 on November's ballot.

More than a dozen states have Dream Acts, and Maryland's eligibility criteria are the strictest. It requires students to attend a Maryland high school for at least three years and graduate. It requires that their parents pay taxes in Maryland for at least three years and that the students attend community college for two years before transferring to a four-year institution.

Two elements of the law frequently give voters pause. The first is the question of whether illegal immigrants really pay taxes. They do. The IRS, it seems, is not so picky about who gives it money. The agency grants taxpayer identification numbers to foreign nationals in lieu of a Social Security number. It may seem illogical that someone living and working in this country illegally would voluntarily pay taxes, but many do because it accrues to their benefit if they are ever able to get on a path to legal status and citizenship.

The second qualm many voters have is whether this law would somehow allow illegal immigrants to take away seats at Maryland colleges that otherwise would have gone to citizens. That won't happen. The community college requirement means Dream Act students won't be competing with others for seats in the freshman class at a four-year college or university. They won't force anybody out in community college either, because of the open-enrollment policies of those institutions. And the law specifies that those who transfer two years later must be counted as out-of-state students for admissions purposes, which means they are not competing with other Marylanders. Even if they were, the number of Dream Act students who make it that far is expected to be so small — perhaps as few as 10 per year for each of the state's 12 public colleges and universities — that the schools would be able to absorb the extra enrollment without keeping anyone else out.

The rewards of the Dream Act, though, are substantial. Providing Dream Act students with the chance for a better education means they will contribute more to the economy (and tax base) and cost less in social services and other government spending. A recent UMBC study pegged the net lifetime benefit at $66 million for each year's crop of Dream Act students, and it found that all levels of government — federal, state and local — would effectively make a profit on the public investment in lower tuition for these students.

President Barack Obama recently announced that he will not seek to deport young illegal immigrants who were brought here as children and would provide them a mechanism to work legitimately in this country. Republican presidential nominee Mitt Romney has said he would not reverse that policy if elected. That means the undocumented children who attend Maryland schools from kindergarten through high school will most likely be staying in this country after they graduate. By that point, we will already have spent well into six figures for the education of each one. By investing just a bit more, we can substantially increase their ability to contribute to Maryland's economy for years to come.

Whatever Maryland voters think about the nation's immigration policy, surely they can recognize that Question 4 is a good deal.

Exactly what makes Del. Jolene Ivey believe that issuing a license to illegal immigrants in Maryland will guarantee that "they have car insurance" or that "they know not to flee when they're getting pulled over or in an accident?" ("Senate approves two-tier licenses," March 26).

Suddenly, everyone is courting "immigration reform." The 2012 elections unveiled the changing face of America, and this new sensation is causing quite the stir. What a spectacle to see the starry-eyed suitors scramble, now that the long-scorned outcast is revealed to be the belle of the ball.

I suspect it is fair to say that organizer of the petition drives leading to anti-immigrant Question 4 and anti-gay Question 6, Del. Neil Parrott, was absolutely de-feathered ("A referendum on referendums?" Nov. 13).

Maryland was established on the principles of equality, religious freedom, separation of church and state, and creating opportunities for all to achieve economic self-sufficiency. No place is this more clear than at Historic St. Mary's City. St. Mary's City was the first city and capital of Maryland,...